Giannos Kranidiotis

Giannos Kranidiotis
Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece
In office July 8, 1994 – January 1995
In office February 3, 1997 – February 19, 1999
Member of the European Parliament
In office 1995–1997
Advisor on Cyprus Dispute to Prime Minister of Greece
In office 1981–1984
Secretary of European Affairs, Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs
In office 1984–1989
Member of PASOK's Central Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office March 1999
Alternate Foreign Minister of Greece
Incumbent
Assumed office February 19, 1999
Personal details
Born	September 25, 1947 Nicosia, Cyprus
Died	September 14, 1999 Bucharest, Romania
Nationality	Greek
Political party	Panhellenic Socialist Party (PASOK)
Education	University of Athens
Alma mater	Harvard University, Sussex University

Giannos Kranidiotis (Greek: Γιάννος Κρανιδιώτης; September 25, 1947, Nicosia, Cyprus — September 14, 1999, Bucharest, Romania) was a Greek diplomat and politician.

Son of the Cypriot diplomat, poet, and writer Nikos Kranidiotis, he studied law at the University of Athens and continued with postgraduate studies in international relations at Harvard and Sussex University. Member of the Panhellenic Socialist Party (PASOK) from 1976, he was an advisor on the Cyprus dispute to prime minister Andreas Papandreou from 1981 to 1984. He held a number of important posts at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs: secretary of European affairs (1984–1989), deputy foreign minister (July 8, 1994–January 1995 and from February 3, 1997), and alternate foreign minister (February 19, 1999 until his death).

Kranidiotis also served as a Member of the European Parliament (1995–1997) and was elected a member of PASOK's Central Committee in March 1999. He held an honorary doctorate in international relations from the Democritus University of Thrace.

On 14th September 1999, Kranidiotis, his son Nikolas, and five other members of a government delegation, died on their way to a six-nation Balkan foreign ministers' regional cooperation meeting in Bucharest. Their aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 900 presidential jet operated by Olympic Airways, experienced severe in-flight pitch oscillations whilst descending into Bucharest Otopeni Airport, causing those passengers not wearing seat-belts to be thrown around the cabin.^[1][2]

• Alternate FM Kranidiotis, 5 others die in airplane accident (Athens News Agency, 15 September 1999)